Aim: In 2008, a rubella outbreak involved the city of Messina. The aim of this study was to verify the effectiveness of the “Piano Nazionale per l’Eliminazione del Morbillo e della Rosolia Congenita” in our country.Methods: The 1186 pregnant women admitted into Obstetric Unit and their newborn infants were studied. During pregnancy, women with acute generalized exanthema or with specific IgM were rubella questioned and tested for rubella (IgM, IgG, IgG avidity). In newborn infants, congenital rubella was questioned at birth after serological analysis (IgM, IgG, RNA PCR) and viral antigens researches (PCR RNA RT), and confirmed with serological and instrumental follow up continued until 2 years of life.Results: On 34 % of the women, rubella immunity was absent or unknown. Four/1186 women, which were neither vaccinated nor preconceptional screened, presented ascertained rubella infection during pregnancy and 2 of their infants presented an asymptomatic infection. At follow-up, until 2 years of life, the 2 infants with congenital infection did not present sensorial deficit.Conclusion: The study demonstrates that in our country the National Plan is inefficient, and suggests the need that all public healthy authorities promote the diffusion of preconceptional screening, and increase universal vaccination and selective vaccination to childbearing age women.